Automobile top



'May 31, 1932. -H. E. KAPLAN ET AL AUTOMOBILE TOP Filed May 24, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 31, 1932. H. E. KAPLAN ET AL AUTOMOBILE TOP Filed May 24, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 31, 1932 UNITED STATI-:s

iea'rENr voI-*Flcle HARRY E. KAPLAN AND BERNARD L. IBOUEB, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS AUTOMOBILE 'rop application mea may 24, raza. serial No. 365,756.

Our invention relates to improvementsl in automobile. bodies and the principal object of our invention is to provide an automobile body with a movable roof or top of which can be openedor closed at will to convert the body into a closed or open vtype of body w1th allof the advantages of both types.

A further Objectis to provide an automobile body of the closed type with a iexible roof or top member which can be folded compactly into `a compartment in the body to uncover the top and convert the body into one of the open type.

A further object is to provide a novel roof to the top structure for closed automobile bodies which is adapted to be folded intoy the body when the top is to be opened, and unfolded and extended over the top to close said top.

Other objects of our invention appear hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectlon of the upper portion of an` automobile body embodying our invention, showing the roof members in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a similar vlew showing the roof members in open position;

. Fig. 3 1s a transverse vertlcal section sub- '30 stantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the folding roof sections.

In the `drawings we have illustrated our 1nvention as embodied in an automobile body of the closed type. Bodies of this type have side walls l, a front wall 2, a rear wall 3l and floor 4. The side walls have front and rear door members 5 and 6 and the front wall has a usual wind shield 7, The rear wall usually has a rear window 8 located above the cushions of the'rear seat. `The front end of the body is equipped with a visor 9 extending over the wind shield and the ends 10 of this visor are connected to and form continuations of the upper corners of the side A walls. We utilize the space within the visor to form a compartment for receiving the forward section of theroof member when it is folded as hereinafter described.

5 In the present structure the top is open and this opening extends over practically the entire area of the top of the body. The front wall Figs. 1 and 2, terminates at,11 to form the inner wall of the compartment 11 within thevisor for the folded forward 55 roof members. In like manner the rear wall 3 terminates at 12 to form the outer wall of the compartment 13 for receiving the folded rear roof member. The inner wall ofthe compartment 13 is formed .by the transverse 60 Wall member 14 which joins the rear wall 3 and closes lower end of the compartment 13. Holes 15 are provided in the rear wall 3 communicating with the gutter 16 across the rear .end of the body so as to drain water from the 65 compartment 13 and prevent it from enteringl the interior ofthe body.

In the present structure upper edge portions 17 `are turned horizontally and terminate at 18 to form the side edges of the top 70 opening. Guiding and supporting members Y 19 extend along the upper edges of the side walls beneath the edge portions 17. They are spaced from said edge portions to provide guide channels 20 for the edges of the 75 roof members. The inner longitudinal edges 21 of these guide members extend inwardly beyond the edges 18 of the guide channels to overlap the edges of the roof members and prevent water from entering the body. The inner edges of the members 19 are connected to the upper edges of the inner side walls 22 Fig. 3 of the body. The inner side walls of the body are spaced from the outer side walls, and in these spaces the frame work of the body is contained but not shown since it constitutes no part of our present invention. These longitudinal guide members 19 are curved downwardly and join the outer side walls-to close the lower portions of the guide channels and prevent water entering the body. The guide channels have openings 23 in the outer side walls which communicate with the usual gutters 24 to drain the water 95 fromthe channels. 4At their front ends the guide members 19 merge with-fthe front wall 11 and at their rear ends they merge with the rear wall 14 of the rear compartment 13 so as to guide the roof members into the front Iis;

and rear compartments lland 13 previously described.

The movable roof is preferably made in two parts A and B so that if desired a. part only of the top opening may be uncovered, although when both roof members are folded into their compartments the entire top opening will be uncovered. The detail con* struction of the roof members A and B is shown more particularly in Fig. 4. Each member is made in sections formed by a plurality of flat transversely disposed strips or plates 25 arranged in parallel relation and joined along their adjacent edges 26 by any suitable. hinge construction which permits the strips to he folded one upon the other as shown in Fig. L2. The hinge construction illustrated is of the piano hinge type having the hinge rods 27 extending the entire length of the hinge joints.

'lhe roof members are preferably covered with a suitable flexible water proof fabric 37. 'In the present construction we fasten the fabric covering to the hinged strips or sections 25 by providing these strips with rows of holes 38 and by stitching the fabric through these holes. This construction forms a Very substantial rigid roof for the body. At the same time it is a very ieXible structure and therefore. readily adaptable to being folded and unfolded repeatedly without damage thereto.

Every other one of these hinge rods extend beyond the edges of the roof members to form lugs QS which co-operate with the channel guides 19 to support the roof members in position and at the same time permit said members to slide along the guide channels in the process of folding the roof members. We also provide spring guide members 29 in the guide channels. These are disposed above the lugs 28 but are intended to yieldingly engage the lugs 28 to guide said lugs and at the same time prevent rattles by taking up in play. The front and rear ends of these spring guide members are turned to form loops 30 and 31 so that spaces will be provided to accommodate the group of lugs 28 when the roof members are folded into the compartments at the front and rear ends of the body as shown in Fig. 2. rIhe inner ends 32 are turned downwardly to form stops for the end most lugs Q8 of the roof members to prevent the members from being pulled beyond their allotted positions. The ends of the roof members have handles 33 and 34 in the form of loops Fig. 4 by which the roof members may be conveniently handled to fold or unfold them. These handles are also intended to serve as convenient means for locking the roof sect-ions in closed position by arranging them to engage with transverse lugs 35 disposed at the point where the two roof members meet Figs. 1 and 2. The lugs 35 are carried by a transverse bar 36 which extends across the top opening from one side to the other and is suitably connected with the guide members 19.

We are aware that changes, modification and arrangement of parts can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention and we reserve the right to make such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claim.

Ve claim:

The combination of an automobile top having side and end walls and an opening in its top, guiding means disposed along the edges of said opening, means forming compartments at each of the ends of said opening, a roof member comprising two units formed of a plurality of hinged sections foldable upon each other for storage in said compartments, handles at adjacent ends of said units, transverse lugs substanti ally midway between the ends of said opening, saidhandles being secured to sa'id lugs to retain said units vin closing position over said opening when extended from said compartments.

HARRY E. KAPLAN. BERNARD L. BOUER. 

